Doctor Who Club of Australia

[Beatly]

The conclusion to last week's Rise of the Cybermen.

I actually missed the first minute or so because it was broadcast earlier than usual, dammit, so I don't know how they got out of that scrum of Cybermen. I'll have to watch the repeat tomorrow.

Lumic speaks a line that must have made thousands of old-time Doctor Who fans sigh happily: "Excellent!"
It could be said that Mickey is the best thing about this episode, and quite rightly so: it's his episode. The Doctor is very Doctor-ish, but doesn't seem to have quite so much screen time as Mickey. Mickey saves the day by being fed clues from the Doctor, in a way very reminiscent of... something else.

There was a moment with the Cybermen that was a little like the eponymous baddie in last year's Dalek. The 'human factor' saves the day yet again. Because of that and the aforementioned feeding of clues, I only give this a "very good" instead of an "excellent".

Next week's episode looks like it might be a very traditional one.

[Tegan]

[Tegan]

As I've said before, the Cybermen always scared me much more than any other Dr Who monster, and I think these are the best of all so far. The militaristic behaviour from creatures who were until yesterday just oridinary people scares me witless.

Having said that, I think The Rise of the Cybermen was a (very marginally) better episode. It probably has more to do with the sense of anticiipation than anything about the episode per se.

One way AOS was better is in how Mickey was given a more important role to play. His departure was up there with some of the better ways the show has found to "delete" a character. He goes out in victory, not as somehow a no longer needed Tin Dog.

The writing is building the relationship between Rose and The Doctor and filling out small details. I think a lot of people who aren't expecting it will be very moved and sadened when Rose leaves. I also suspect that RTD is going to have a bit of a surprise in how that happens.

The method the Doctor used to evade the Cybermen at the start of the episode, even though it was set up in ROTC was a little cheesy, it reminded me of a 007 'out', or even (as the previous post implies) a Goodies solution.

All in all, a Very Good episode.

[feez]

I really enjoyed this episode. Did anyone else think there was a reference to the five doctors when the Doctor said 'Above, between, below'?...No just me then.

I liked how the cybermen realised what they had become but as Beatly said it did remind me of Dalek. They Cybermen and Cyber-Controller looked awesome. Finally looking like they could really do some damage! Shame that when they died they all looked like they were attempting some sort of funky dance.

I was really pleased to see Mickey taking a more central role and he had definetely become my favourite character this series behind the Doctor and I was gutted to see him leave. I hope they work him back into the last two parter somehow. Be nice for the Doctor and Rose to meet up with him at the end of the season, with a lot of time having passed for Mickey and to see how his character has developed. I'd rather Rose had left somehow as she seems to have become an annoying brat in this series. I'm sure she won't make it to series three!

Overall, quite good I thought, although I would have liked to have seen more of Cybermen throwing people massive distances because of their immense strength or perhaps inflciting heavy crush injuries. Maybe we'll get bigger displays of their strength later on.

[Amano07]

i thought it was a good episode, i liked the reference to Van statten and the cyber head. still...cybermen are from Mondas and i just couldnt let that go. Mickeys departure was great and i'm glad to see the character not being used for comic relief anymore. overall 7/10

[Dazza]

The Cybermen were very spooky particularly in the torch lit corridor.

An almost excellent story. I also can't get away from the Cybermen now being from Earth (albeit an alternate one) rather than Mondas. I think the Mondas back story is much more interesting than the Cybermen being created by a deranged human.

Wouldn't it have been a great twist to have the original Cybermen in control of Lumic. e.g. Cyberleader "Excellent. Lumic, you have helped us rebuild our Cyber Army. Here is the immortality you were promised" Two Cybermen escort a screaming Lumic into the Cyber mincer.

Odd that the Doctor knows the Cybermen but not Lumic - their supposed creator. Hopefully things will be cleared up in the final episode of the series.

Otherwise, I thought it was very good.

[hallhotdogma]

I thought this was a great way to tell the story of the alternative Cybermen - because, lets face it, they are not the real deal Mondas originating, Telos populating Cyberman of the *real* universe (hehehe)

I think Mickey is not quite finished as yet - the closing scene opens other doors, and interesting potential direction.

[meglos]

Yes He does. A good episode. Sad to see Mickey go, but I'm sure he will be back. The Cybermen where very spooky when the got going. Can't wait to see them back again. 7/10

[Hiruma]

I enjoyed this episode quite a lot, and it was for all the little things.

The marching was spot on. The fact that you heard the Cybermen before you saw them all the time, the fact that they were true members of a collective and the lighting was awesome. One of the best scenes for me was probably overlooked by most. Its when the Doctor and Mrs Moore? were walking down the underground ventillation tunnels which just happened to be a storage sight for deactivated Cybermen.. who they of course assumed where just suits of armor ready for the brain implant.

The tightness of the location must of been a huge pain to film.. it really seemed that tight. Onward they walked and the way the Cybermen were lit behind them any second.. any second you were waiting for one to spring to life. It never came until the order was given. THen in a scene very reminiscent of another great Cybernetic organism the Borg.. the light on the wall on and it was showtime.

That for me was the suspense Ive come to expect from Dr Who and what makes the episode all the more watchable.

IF the Cybermen make another apperance. IF IF they do. THen the story has to logically take place in this Alternate Universe again. I just hope it dosnt get overused.

THe Doctor mentioned that these were not the same Cybermen as the one Rose saw in the Cabinet. He even mentioned Mondas but not by the same name.

Other things I noticed

A) Rickeys death. It was the 'split up and die death method' followed by the 'being forced to watch someone die scenario' it worked quite well. However this scene was replicated in the escape fron the Tunnels scene, cept both people survived.

B) Why not have Cyber guards at the bottom of the Zeppelin entrance?

C) Indivdual Tardis Components are horrendously powerful.

D) I didnt entirely agree with Mickey's decision to stay or get his reasoning. He was staying behind to he could continue the fight against the Cybermen.... yet I would of assumed with the signal destroyed on the Zepplin and Lumic in no condition to broadcast another.. that would be the end of them. Another point to notice is that a character just moments before gave the same reasoning to stay.. Pete Tyler in fact. However it does give the Doctor a reason to return.. even though he says he must close the time tear. THere will be countless others.

E) Who was the Cyber Leader? THe one talking to Lumic just before Lumics Conversion? I noted that the leader whoever he was was the only Cybermen bar Lumic's controller not to be voiced by Nicholas Briggs. Can someone point out the Cyberleader for me. I must of missed the black handlebars.

F) I knew Lumic's friend would turn on him. It was gonna be him or Tyler so I guess I was right both times

G) Lumic as the Cybercontroller seemed more emotional than Lumic pre upgrade. It seemed like that to me anyway. I guess I was expecting a more distinctive difference. THe Throne and the plugs were cool though, as were those eyes.. so bright..

H) As a random fun thing, would of loved to have have seen David Banks be one of the people walking in line to converstion. I guess just a funny ode to the old series

[dave]

I also thought it was very good.

I didn't like the resolution to the cliffhanger much. It struck me as unusual for DW...I guess I was just expecting an order to come down from Lumic not to kill them or the Doctor to talk his way out of it - anything but what did happen. Nice to be surprised, to a small extent, but I didn't like it. Hard to say exactly why.

The scenes featuring the cybemen whose inhibitiors had been knocked out had a very strong impact on me. As did the encounter with Cyber-Jackie. But when the Doctor euthanised the one struck by the electromagentic bomb, and then queried Mrs Moore on whether or not he had the right to kill all the Cybermen, I thought he'd already shown by action he was prepared to do so. It was odd how the order of events played out - I think it would have made more sense had he come to the decision to destroy the Cybermen before apparently putting Cyber-Sally out of her misery. Maybe that's not what he did, but I doubt it.

I'd seen a picture of the Cyber-Controller during the week, and had suspected Lumic would end up getting upgraded. It was nice to see the Cybermen force him into it - almost like they turned against him as the Daleks did in Genesis of the Daleks, but with a new spin. I also liked the way he was so mad that when all the other cybermen were sent crazy by having their inhibitors knocked-out, Lumic seemed unaffected. I'm curious as to why the inhibitors would be mounted in the chest, though...

I'm also curious as to Pete Tyler's age. Although it was the parallel Pete we saw in the 80's in Father's Day, this Pete doesn't look a year older, in a story set 20 years later. That struck me as odd - they made no attempt to make him look any older.

I'm not surprised it was Ricky who died. Micky staying wasn't much of a shock either, although I wonder if his Gran didn't get upgraded already... And he says his Gran's there and needs him, and then he's off to Paris to fight Cybermen. Odd. I think he'll be back in the finale, and I hope that it's because the Cybermen won. I doubt the Cyber Controller was destroyed by the fall... and with factories on seven continents going, it'll be hard to stop them.

[arturo]

I'm almost tempted to begin by complaining and stating how crap this one was just to ensure that I don't become predictable around this place.

But seriously....PHWOAR!!!

This was a corker. I loved the atmospheric tunnel of Cybermen action, loved the unison of their movements, loved the comclusion of Mickey's story and felt really sad to see him go, loved the cyber-jackie and everything complementary that has already been said on this thread.

I wonder why Mickey had to take Rose's phone (and suspec tthat may be important later in the series) and if the shooting star at the end of the episode has any significance.....mebbe a black dalek falling to Alt earth to invade with the cybermen (he he he).

I'm betting the five year old in my house has nightmares tonight.

[SharazJek]

If indeed it is the Gelth who are rumoured to join forces with the Cybermen in the final episode, why couldn't a pathway from the alt universe be found via the Cardiff rift?

Just a wild conjecture.

(No I don't know something you don't)

[Theta Sigma]

Love that resolution to the cliffhanger.
Surprised that Pete is Gemini.
Ricky gets killed and like everyone else feared it was Mickey who got killed instead.
Surprising that Crane turns on Lumic.
K9 is mentioned when Mickey says "tin dog".
Got a scare when the Doctor and Mrs Moore sees the row of Cybermen and love that chase that came afterwards.
I had this gut feeling that Mrs Moore was going to get killed and sadly I was proven right.
Jackie gets turn into a Cyberwoman. Really did not expect that.
I certainly did not expect to see Lumic as the Cybercontroller and what an impressive sight he is.
Like the Doctor's argument about emotions.
Impressed with how the Cybermen were defeated.
Jackie is presumably dead with the other Cybermen that were blown up. Somehow this seems (sadly) fair since Pete is dead in the travellers' reality.
Sad that alternate Pete gives Rose the brush-off after calling him Dad.
Mickey staying in the alternate reality is not what I saw coming. It had been speculated that Mickey would appear semi-regularly in Torchwood. Does this mean he won't appearing in Torchwood after all?

[charlie]

[Theta Sigma]

TV WEEK has placed the episode on August 19, fifth place in its Pick of the Day.

[Theta Sigma]

Saw the "Incoming transmission..." ad just after the 9:25 News Update last night. Instead of showing scenes from The Age of Steel it instead showed the last shot of Rise of the Cybermen. The ad teased the viewers by saying they know what happens next but won't tell them about it. A very good teaser indeed.

[SharazJek]

[Speckled Jim]

[montypython]

I just saw this episode... and once again I was not let down. My brother predicted Mrs Moore's death. I guess it was kinda obvious, but still sad. I like the way they got rid of Mickey - he had to go. His only real role as a companion before now was keeping Rose company while the Doctor pashed Reinette. The thing I don't get though, is doesn't Mickey have a mother? In Rose Rose meantioned how she'd have to tell Mickey's mother he was dead. What has she known about Mickey's disappearances? Anyway, like I said, I like that it's back to Rose and the Doctor. Mickey knows he isn't needed. Remember the good old days in New Earth when they talked about their first date? Or in Tooth & Claw when they laughed and howled like schoolchildren? For me it's all about keeping the chemistry.

Overall, a great episode. And it's nice to see a preview for next week's.

[Dazzler]

I enjoyed this episode but not as much as the last week's one. I'm not sure why, but seeing Mickey depart from the show when he's grown as a character really sucked. Still, I'm glad they didn't kill him off so there's still a slight possibility we'll come across him some day. I thought it was cool when the Ear Pods took control of the people and Rose and Mr Tyler had to go pretend to be one of them.

Did anyone think Mrs Moore looked awfully like that girl from the Matrix? Switch I think her name was. At first, I didn't think she was that interesting a character but when she was with the Doctor, she started to develop more personality, then she's killed off!

I'm looking forward to more Doctor Who, this has been the best show on TV all year.